Bill Targeting Gay Films Gets Bashed

Tax credit would have excluded films that featured "nontraditional family values"

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WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 11: Activists yell during a protest October 11, 2009 in Washington, DC. Activists gathered in DC to push President Barack Obama's administration and the U.S. Congress to live up to promises to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community to advance civil rights. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)

Rainbow warriors rejoice. You can once again film in Florida and get public money to do it.

A controversial bill that would have made any production with a gay character ineligible for millions in tax credits has been scrapped to avoid becoming a made for TV movie on discrimination.

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The bill, which was originally proposed by Orlando Republican State Rep. Stephen Precourt, was designed to return TV back to the days of Mayberry and the "Andy Griffith Show."

Surprisingly, things have changed in the 50 years since then and people's views of "traditional family values" has transformed a bit. People also don't walk 20 miles to school and back, either, Mr. Precourt.

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The proposed bill would have also excluded any film or TV production that had a character who battled with drug abuse or alcoholism, any production that had regular violence and a host of other subjective "nontraditional values."

So instead of getting bashed in the press, Precourt has proposed a bonus credit for any film that doesn't have sex, nudity, vulgar language or violence.